Status: This was a dream. Not quite sure about it.
Seven Devils
Deux
Raina walked out into the hot July night in Northern California. Sitting in her car, she let out a sigh. She blew up at her mother for no reason. She knew Fleur just wanted to keep her safe and give her a normal life. As much as it would hurt her, Fleur wanted to live longer than Raina so she wouldn’t become one. Raina started the car and pulled away from the bar she worked at. The drive was quick and she was soon pulling into the driveway of their house, noting that Fleur’s Cadillac was still in the driveway.
Getting out of her black Charger, Raina pushed her light brown hair over her bare shoulder and entered her home.
“I’m home,” She called as she fiddled with her phone. Looking up at the lack of response, Raina furrowed her eyebrows. “Mom?”
She walked into the kitchen and saw a bloody handprint on the white refrigerator. “What the hell?” She mumbled.
Looking down, she saw a trail of blood. Trying to keep from hyperventilating, Raina followed the trail with tears in her eyes. She walked slowly up the stairs, down the hallway, and into her mother’s room. The door was cracked open and she started to shake her head.
“No, no, no,” Raina whimpered.
Entering the room, she saw her mother on the floor with the skin peeled away from her chest, muscles exposed, her throat slashed, and a series of fang marks on her neck and arms.
She sobbed, slipped on a pool of Fleur’s blood, and fell. Laying in the thick crimson, Raina shook as the sobs came out. All she could think about was the fight they had. She looked at her mother again and felt the bile in her throat. Trying to swallow it, she failed and released the contents of her stomach on the floor. The vomit mixed with the blood and Raina’s tears. Her left arm began to burn and she looked at it. Through her tears, she made out the dark snake that was being branded into her arm by an invisible source. She immediately recognized the mark as the one on her mother.
The mark of a succubus. It was a simple snake that wrapped itself around the entire arm. It looked like she had just gotten it as a tattoo.
Stumbling up, Raina sprinted to her bedroom. She grabbed a duffel bag and threw everything that would fit. She pulled on a clean pair of leggings and tank top, then reached under her bed to grasp her box of money. Dumping it in the bag, she grabbed nail polish remover and entered her mother’s room again. Managing to swallow her vomit, she took all of the cash her mother kept, then doused Fleur’s body and bed in the bottle of nail polish remover. Raina threw her lighter on it and exited the room. Quickly retrieving her bag, she left the house to the flames. She shoved everything in her car and sped away. She pulled over and mapquested her way to Seattle.
*******************
Raina exited the motel she rested in for the last two days. She had arrived in Seattle but was too exhausted to even attempt to find this vampire. She didn’t even have his last name. He was just Bryn.
She climbed into her car and tried to think where she could get information. Racking her brain, she finally decided on a bar. People would get drunk and talk to the tenders. Driving to the closest one, she began her search.
By the time she got to the fifth bar, she was ready to give up hope. Her arm had stopped burning the day before, but she could feel herself starting to get weak. Fleur only explained a few things about their kind.
Climbing out of her car, Raina entered the establishment. She looked around and her eyes caught a man that looked oddly familiar playing poker in the corner. Ignoring him, she walked to the bartender.
The male smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling. “Hi there.”
Raina smiled and ordered a rum and coke. He checked her ID and made her drink. After thanking him and taking a few sips, she asked him about Bryn.
The blonde man tilted his head to the side slightly. “What’s your name?”
“Raina,” She responded.
“Well, Raina, I’m Rusty,” He introduced before pointing to the familiar man playing poker, “and he’s who you’re looking for.”
Raina raised her eyebrows as she looked at Bryn. Even though he was sitting, she could tell he was tall. Bryn turned his head and caught her gaze. Quickly throwing money on the table with his cards, he stood up and walked over to her. As he came closer, Raina realized why she knew his face.
Her mother had a picture of the two of them in the 1920s.
Bryn came to a halt in front of her and he turned to look at Rusty. “Who is this?”
Raina resisted the urge to shiver at the smooth sound of his voice.
“Raina,” He responded before sending a wink her way.
Bryn looked at her. “Last name?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Bruneau,” She managed to get out.
His face remained blank as he mentioned for her to follow him. She walked behind him as he led them through the back of the building and into the cool night air.
“Why are you here?” He asked, “the last time I heard from your family, you couldn’t even walk.”
Raina rubbed her left arm subconsciously as she tried to find the words. Bryn looked at her movement and caught sight of something on her skin. He grabbed her hand and lifted it to get a better look.
“No,” He whispered.
Raina sighed. “She told me to find you before...”
He dropped her hand like it was fire. “How?”
“I’m not sure what killed her, but she was missing her skin on her chest so...” she trailed off, “I just have questions that she never answered. I’ll be out of your way if you can just point me in the right direction.”
He made a noise in the back of his throat and turned around. “Get in your car. I’ll take you to my house.”
Raina raised her sculpted eyebrows and was about to protest but he glared at her from over his shoulder. Deciding it was better to just follow his orders, she led him to her car.
Getting out of her black Charger, Raina pushed her light brown hair over her bare shoulder and entered her home.
“I’m home,” She called as she fiddled with her phone. Looking up at the lack of response, Raina furrowed her eyebrows. “Mom?”
She walked into the kitchen and saw a bloody handprint on the white refrigerator. “What the hell?” She mumbled.
Looking down, she saw a trail of blood. Trying to keep from hyperventilating, Raina followed the trail with tears in her eyes. She walked slowly up the stairs, down the hallway, and into her mother’s room. The door was cracked open and she started to shake her head.
“No, no, no,” Raina whimpered.
Entering the room, she saw her mother on the floor with the skin peeled away from her chest, muscles exposed, her throat slashed, and a series of fang marks on her neck and arms.
She sobbed, slipped on a pool of Fleur’s blood, and fell. Laying in the thick crimson, Raina shook as the sobs came out. All she could think about was the fight they had. She looked at her mother again and felt the bile in her throat. Trying to swallow it, she failed and released the contents of her stomach on the floor. The vomit mixed with the blood and Raina’s tears. Her left arm began to burn and she looked at it. Through her tears, she made out the dark snake that was being branded into her arm by an invisible source. She immediately recognized the mark as the one on her mother.
The mark of a succubus. It was a simple snake that wrapped itself around the entire arm. It looked like she had just gotten it as a tattoo.
Stumbling up, Raina sprinted to her bedroom. She grabbed a duffel bag and threw everything that would fit. She pulled on a clean pair of leggings and tank top, then reached under her bed to grasp her box of money. Dumping it in the bag, she grabbed nail polish remover and entered her mother’s room again. Managing to swallow her vomit, she took all of the cash her mother kept, then doused Fleur’s body and bed in the bottle of nail polish remover. Raina threw her lighter on it and exited the room. Quickly retrieving her bag, she left the house to the flames. She shoved everything in her car and sped away. She pulled over and mapquested her way to Seattle.
*******************
Raina exited the motel she rested in for the last two days. She had arrived in Seattle but was too exhausted to even attempt to find this vampire. She didn’t even have his last name. He was just Bryn.
She climbed into her car and tried to think where she could get information. Racking her brain, she finally decided on a bar. People would get drunk and talk to the tenders. Driving to the closest one, she began her search.
By the time she got to the fifth bar, she was ready to give up hope. Her arm had stopped burning the day before, but she could feel herself starting to get weak. Fleur only explained a few things about their kind.
Climbing out of her car, Raina entered the establishment. She looked around and her eyes caught a man that looked oddly familiar playing poker in the corner. Ignoring him, she walked to the bartender.
The male smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling. “Hi there.”
Raina smiled and ordered a rum and coke. He checked her ID and made her drink. After thanking him and taking a few sips, she asked him about Bryn.
The blonde man tilted his head to the side slightly. “What’s your name?”
“Raina,” She responded.
“Well, Raina, I’m Rusty,” He introduced before pointing to the familiar man playing poker, “and he’s who you’re looking for.”
Raina raised her eyebrows as she looked at Bryn. Even though he was sitting, she could tell he was tall. Bryn turned his head and caught her gaze. Quickly throwing money on the table with his cards, he stood up and walked over to her. As he came closer, Raina realized why she knew his face.
Her mother had a picture of the two of them in the 1920s.
Bryn came to a halt in front of her and he turned to look at Rusty. “Who is this?”
Raina resisted the urge to shiver at the smooth sound of his voice.
“Raina,” He responded before sending a wink her way.
Bryn looked at her. “Last name?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Bruneau,” She managed to get out.
His face remained blank as he mentioned for her to follow him. She walked behind him as he led them through the back of the building and into the cool night air.
“Why are you here?” He asked, “the last time I heard from your family, you couldn’t even walk.”
Raina rubbed her left arm subconsciously as she tried to find the words. Bryn looked at her movement and caught sight of something on her skin. He grabbed her hand and lifted it to get a better look.
“No,” He whispered.
Raina sighed. “She told me to find you before...”
He dropped her hand like it was fire. “How?”
“I’m not sure what killed her, but she was missing her skin on her chest so...” she trailed off, “I just have questions that she never answered. I’ll be out of your way if you can just point me in the right direction.”
He made a noise in the back of his throat and turned around. “Get in your car. I’ll take you to my house.”
Raina raised her sculpted eyebrows and was about to protest but he glared at her from over his shoulder. Deciding it was better to just follow his orders, she led him to her car.
♠ ♠ ♠
Rusty